Motor operated door



Sept. 8, 1931. T. G. KOHL ET AL MOTOR OPERATED DOOR Filed April 24. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W W/ 6 pi I x; 5 a f M p w 2 w 2 i F Wu i WW 2 l 2 2 2 E J w, M

difforney Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE mo on or er 'n DQOB Applieation filed April 24,

Our invention relates to improvements in motor operated doors.

An important object of the invention is to provide doors of the above mentionedcharacter which are adapted for use in hotels, restaurants, garages, or in any place where it is desired to automatically open and close doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the doors will be automatically shifted to an open position when a tread element is depressed.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the door sections "are guided for folding action, during their opening movement, for allowing the same to travel freely and smoothly. v

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically closing the doors when the circuit to the motor is opened and for retaining the doors in the closed position.

Other objects and advantages of'the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, a

Figure 1 is a plan view of the motor operated door embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same, showing the operating: means,

Figure 3 is a detailed section taken on line 3*3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a similarview taken on line o Figure 1, Figure 5 is a side elevation of the door, Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of the tread frame, showing a switch, a t

Figure 7 is a transversesection taken on line '(7 of Figure 6, e 1

Figure 8 is a transverse section tflkcnon line 88 of Figure 6, and,

Figure 9 is, a diagrammatic view of the circuit.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodimentof our invention, the door opening '10 1930,. Serial n. 447,030.

is adapted to be closed by foldable doors 11, each of which embodies door sections 12 and 12. The door opening has the usual frame :13. The outer door sections 12" are hinged to the vertical sides of the frame 13, to swing horizontally, asshown at 14;, and the closed sides of the hinges 14 face toward the inner side of the garageor the like, so that these hinges will swing or break inwardly but limit the outward swinging movement of the outer door sections 12 beyond the completely closed position. The inner door sections 12 are hinged to the door sections 12 at their adjacent verticaledges by means of hinges l5, and the closed sides of these hinges face outwardly so that the hinged door sections 12 and 12 may swing or break inwardly, but

the hinges 15 serve to limit the outward swinging movement of the door sections 12,

and; 12 beyond the completely closed posi tion, in which position they are arranged at a straight angle with relation to each other.

Arranged within the top of the door frame 13 is a horizontal housing 16, which may be formed of heavy sheet metal, or the like, and

having a bottom 17 This bottom is provided with curved slots 18, forming curved tracks, and these curved slots or tracks are concentric with the hinges 14:, and arranged as shown.

The bottom 17 also has straight inclined slots 19, forming tracks. Brackets 20 are rigidly attached to the upper corners ofthe door sections 12, remote from the hinges 14, and these brackets project laterally inwardly; from thedoorsections 12' and carry' vertical pins 21. Guide rollers are rotatably mounted upon the pins 21, and are arranged to operate within the curved slots o rac s 8- to the fact that the inner end 23 of the curved slot 18 is sopositioned that when the door v section 12 has been shifted to the completely openedposition, at a right angle to the closed positiomthat thei'oller-22 will engage the end wall 2.3, which will then limit the opening movement of'the .door section. 12. T he opposite end 24 of the curved slot 18 is so positioned that when'the door section 12 is shifted to the completelyiclosed positioin, roller 22" will 'engage'the end 24 which will Particular attention is called,

then serve as a stop, to limit the outward or closing movement. The curved slot 18 is arranged inwardly of and spaced from the straight inclined slot 19, as shown. A pin 25 is carried by each door section 12, at its corner, remote from the hinge 15, and this pin carries a roller 26, operating within the inclined slot 19. The inclination of the slot 19 is such that when the door sections 12 and 12' are shifted to the completely open position, they will be parallel, and the roller 26 will engage the end 27 of the slot 19,- and when the door sections are completely closed, the roller 26 will engage the end 28 of the slot 19. The inner end 27 of the slot 19 is disposed inwardly of the hinges 14, as shown.

Suitably strong retractile coil springs 29 are attached to the tops of the pins 21 and to an eye 30, which is anchored to the forward end of an outwardly tapered projection 31 of the housing 16, and the top of this projection is preferably covered by a plate 32 to exclude rain or the like. The springs 29 converge forwardly or outwardly and serveto automatically return the door sections to the outer closed position, and to retain the same in such position when shifted thereto. The door sections are shifted to the inner closed position by means of flexible elements or bands 33, passing about grooved pulleys 34, carried by fixed shafts 35, and the forward ends of these flexible elements are attached to the pins 21. The inner ends of these flexible elements or bands 33 are attached to and oppositely wound upon a grooved pulley 26, mounted upon the armature shaft 37 of an electric motor 38. This motor is preferably vertically arranged. The motor may be of any well known or preferred type and is preferably so constructed that it will have a quick starting action and will not be injured by the circuit remaining closed when the door sections have been shifted to the opened position. The motor 38 is mounted upon a stationary support 37 held within the housing 16.

Means are provided to automatically close a circuit to the motor, including a tread device. This tread device embodies a horizontal tread frame 39, formed of angle iron or the like, and this tread frame is suitably held within a recess 40, formed in the floor 41. The tread platform 42 is held within the frame 39 and is normally substantially flush with the upper surface of the frame 39, and is adapted to be depressed by a suitable load, such as a man, vehicle, or the like. Arranged within each corner of the frame 39 is a support plate 43, having an opening 44 arranged therein to receive the reduced neck 45 of a vertical cylinder 46. The top of this neck 45 is flattened or spread, as shown at 47 whereby the cylinder is arranged beneath the plate 43 and is rigidly attached thereto.

Mounted to reciprocate within each cylinder 46 is a plunger 48, supported by a compressible coil spring 49, engaging an adjustable plug 50 having screw-threaded engagement with the cylinder. A plunger rod 51 is rigidly attached to the plunger 48 and is slidable within the neck 45, and engages the lower surface of the tread platform 42. It is thus seen that the four corners of the tread platform are supported by the plunger rods 51 and associated elements. Each cylinder 46 has a vertical slot 52, receiving a pin 53, rigidly attached to the plunger 48 and this pin carries a roller 54, formed of insulating material, and adapted to engage an upper contact 55, which is normally open, and force the same into electrical engagement with a lower contact 56. These contacts are mounted upon an insulating support 57, which are attached to the cylinder 46. It is thus seen that a normally open switch is pro-- vided at each corner of the tread platform, and when each or all of the corners of the tread platform are depressed, the switch or switches will be closed, and a circuit completed to drive the motor. This circuit em-' bodies a wire 58, connected with one pole of a source of current 59 and a wire 60 is connected with the opposite pole of the source of current and with one pole of the motor 38. The opposite pole of the motor is connected with a wire61. Each upper contact 55 is connected with the wire 61 by means of a wire 62, and each lower contact 56 is connected with a wire 58 by wire 63. It is obvi-,

ous that when each pair of contacts 55 and 56 apparatus is as follows:

The springs 29 retain the foldable doors 11 in'the closed position when the motor circuit is open. When the load is applied to the platform tread 42, it depresses the same, and this closes the motorcircuit. pulley 36 is rotated to wind up the flexible elements 33 and the door sections 12 and 12 swing upon the hinges 14 and 15 and are drawn to the inner open position, and are held in the open position by the motor cir-. cuit being closed. When the load has been removed from the platform tread, it again rises, and the motor circuit is opened, and the springs 29 will again close the door sections. the switch 61.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a'preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape,

The a The motor circuit may be opened by Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a door of the character described, a door frame, inner and outer door sections hinged together to swing horizontally, means to hinge the outer door section to the frame, a guide element secured to the outer door sectionnear its free edge, a curved track for the guide element and arranged concentric with the hinge means of the outer door section, a guide element secured to the inner door section near its free edge, an inclined track for the second named guide element, a pulley arranged near the outer end of the curved track, a flexible element engaging the pulley and attached to the door sections near their hinged connection, motor operated means to wind up the flexible element, and separate automatic means to shift the door sections to the closed position.

2. In a door of the character described, a door frame, inner and outer door sections hinged together to swing horizontally, means to hinge the outer door section to the frame, a guide element secured to the outer door section near its free edge, a curved track for the guide element and extending laterally upon one side of the door sections when they are closed and being concentric with the hinge means of the outer door section, an inclined track, a guide element secured to the inner door sect-ion near its free edge and engaging the inclined track, a support projecting laterally upon the opposite side of the door sections when they are closed, a retractile resilient element connected with the door sect-ions, adjacent to their hinged connection and with the support, a pulley arranged near the outer end of the curved track, and means to open the door sections including a flexible element engaging the pulley and attached to the door sections adjacent to their hinged connection.

3. In a door of the character described, a door frame, foldable doors arranged within the frame, each foldable door comprising inner and outer hinged door sections to swing horizontally with relation to each other, hinge means for connecting the outer door section with the frame, guide elements attached to the outer door sections near their free edges, curved tracks engaging the guide elements, guide elements secured to the inner door sections near their free edges, inclined tracks engaging the last named guide elements, retractile coil springs connected. with the first named guide elements and extending in a forwardly direction to close the door sections, pulleys arranged near the outer ends of the curved tracks, a pulley arranged between the curved tracks, flexible elements attached to the first named guide elements and passing about the first named pulleys, and connected with the last named pulley to be wound thereon, and means to rotate the last named pulley.

4. In a door of the character described, a door frame, foldable doors arranged within the frame, each foldable door comprising inner and outer hinged door sect-ions to swing horizontally with relation to each other, hinged means for connecting the outer door sections with the frame, guide elements attached to the out-er door sections near their free edges, curved tracks engaging the guide elements and being substantially concentric with the hinged means of the outer door sections, guide elements secured to the inner door sections, near their free edges, inclined tracks engaging the last named guide elements, pulleys arranged near the outer ends of the curved tracks, a pulley arranged between the curved tracks, flexible elements attached to the first named door sections near their hinged connections, and passed about the first named pulleys, and connected with the last named pulley to be simultaneously wound thereon, a prime mover to rotate the last named pulley, and separate automatic means to return the door sections to the closed position.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

THEODORE G. KOHL. ROY O. GILBURG. 

